Public Protector gets help from
Ombudsman of Ontario, Canada

Eighty-five (85) Public Protector investigators from all
over the country arrived in Pretoria on Monday to undergo an
intensive training course aimed at ensuring in-depth and
speedy investigations.

Termed “Sharpening Your Teeth: Advanced Training for
Administrative Watchdogs”, the three-day course is conducted
by the Ombudsman of Ontario in Canada, Andre Marin, and his
team comprising Director of Special Ombudsman Response Team
(SORT) Gareth Jones and Manager of Investigations Sue Haslam.

The course, which enjoys the backing of the International
Ombudsman Institute, has been attended by hundreds of
administrative investigators and ombudsmen from all over the
world.

These include the Canadian federal and provincial agencies,
US states and federal departments, Europe, the Caribbean,
Australia, South America and Asia, amongst others.

Speaking ahead of the course, Public Protector Adv Thuli
Madonsela said although the course focuses on systemic
investigations, its lessons are relevant to all
investigations and will bring her office closer to achieving
its goal of balancing rigour with speed.

“With this course, our investigators will also improve on
their skills to balance thoroughness with expeditiousness in
line with our aim to resolve complaints in a prompt yet
in-depth manner,” she said.

In Canada, Mr Marin has an unsurpassed reputation for fair,
thorough and objective systemic investigations. His SORT
model has resulted in major government reforms that improved
the lives of the people of Ontario.